Lent 2: Just Wonder
Wonder
One way I am living in the moment during lent is by making sure I enjoy the weather and by remembering that I will not live in DC forever. Yesterday, I walked to the National Mall just to walk the mall. While I was there I laid on a bench and just looked up. The sun was going down behind the Washington Monument and the sky was so clear. Here, as I walked the mall and laid on the bench I realized I had come just to take a stroll and engage in wonder. Sometimes God calls us to wonder. Through wonder, we begin to see what God is doing, how we can follow Jesus' example, and where the Holy Spirit is leading us in the world.
Wonder is a word that can describe or defined as a feeling of surprise caused by something new or unexpected or it could have a sense of admiration mingled with this feeling. My favorite description or definition that I have read is: "Wonder is the choice to perceive God's beauty and love in the world, God's intention and design. It is to enjoy God." (Phyllis Unkefer, Wonder, pg 100 in Cultivated: The Process of Living from Your Heart)
As I reflect on this word wonder I want to remember two things about this word as I go through life and live in the moments. First, I want to take the time to wonder and remember it is not time wasted. Second, in the mundane times of life, I want to remember to engage in wonder. Even in the mundane times, the Holy Spirit is present and God is at work.
How to engage in wonder:
Set on your bed and just look at the ceiling or stare at the fan.
Spend time in your yard or outdoors in your neighborhood.
Step outside and look up at the sky.
Take a walk/hike in the woods.
When you do these things let your mind wander, see where it leads you, release control, and let yourself be present in what God has created for you.
(Note to readers: These are just ideas that popped into my in mind so you can come up with your own ways to engage in wonder too.)